Artist Saint Hoax is using an image of a battered Cinderella to help put an end to domestic violence.

Awareness campaign depicts battered Disney princesses

The 'Happy Never After' poster series displays beloved Disney princesses with blackened left eyes and bruised and bloodied faces, a paradox creator Saint Hoax hopes will drive women and girls to report their attacks, no matter how long ago it was. (via sainthoax.com)

Layla A. Jones, philly.com

Artist Saint Hoax is using an image of a battered Cinderella to help put an end to domestic violence.

“Happy Never After” is his awareness campaign that places famous Disney princess at the center of domestic abuse and poses the question, “When did he stop treating you like a princess.”

“Disney princesses,” Saint Hoax wrote in an email to the Huffington Post, “are perceived as ideal females.” By graphically using them to display abuse, he makes the point that no woman or girl is safe from the horrors of abuse.

Saint Hoax’s first poster series, ‘Princest Diaries’ was equally as shocking, showing princesses like Ariel engaging in an unwanted kiss with their fathers. The campaign attempts to bring awareness to familial sexual abuse. “46% of minors who are raped are victims of family members,” each poster reads.

The new poster series displays the beloved princesses with blackened left eyes and bruised and bloodied faces, a paradox he hopes will drive women and girls to report their attacks, no matter how long ago it was.

“If we want to tackle [domestic violence] in any way we have to shock the audience,” Hoax told ABC Action News.

Still, some professionals are unsure of the effectiveness of the artful approach because, while it grabs the attention of the viewer, it does not promote positivity within victims.

“Our model is all about empowerment,” said Nicole Worthington of Community Action Stops Abuse. Worthington said she would likely not run the “Happy Never After” poster series in her facilities.

Ultimately, however, Saint Hoax aims to empower women through his poster series. “Victims of abuse are not alone, and it’s never too late for them to take a stand,” he said.